Dairy-Free Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

By
Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams is a restaurant professional and workshop instructor with a specialty in dairy-free cooking and baking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/19/23
Tested by Joan Velush
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Yield: 9 cups

This vegan butternut squash soup is simple and inexpensive to prepare, and it's great for fall-time family dinners, Thanksgiving dinners, or casual get-togethers with friends. This recipe is incredibly versatile, so feel free to use any non-dairy milk of your choice, add fresh herbs, spices, or even nuts of your choice.

This soup is perfect for serving with a tossed salad and some homemade bread or a baguette. You might also have it paired with a sandwich. 

Dairy-Free Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

“Butternut squash soup is easy to veganize, but this recipe makes the usual vegan butternut squash soup all the more appealing with the addition of a plant based milk. Adding a cup of soy or oat milk to the mix creates a lush and creamy, though still completely healthy soup” —Joan Velush

Dairy-Free Vegan Butternut Squash Soup/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion

  • 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

  • 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped

  • 8 cups 1-inch dice butternut squash

  • 4 cups vegetable stock

  • 1 cup unsweetened soy milk, or oat milk, more if desired

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Butternut squash soup ingredients

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  2. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and celery. Stir often, until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

    garlic, onion, celery in a stock pot

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  3. Add the carrots, butternut squash, and vegetable stock.

    Add butternut squash and vegetable stock to pot

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  4. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

    Bring butternut squash mixture to boil in the pot

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  5. Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender and process until smooth. Return the soup to the pot.

    Blended butternut squash soup in a pot

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  6. Stir in the soy milk, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook to desired temperature and consistency, adding more soy milk, if needed. Serve, drizzled with more soy milk, if desired.

    Dairy-Free Vegan Butternut Squash Soup in a pot

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Dairy-Free Butternut Squash Purees

Butternut squash is so versatile it can be included to add character to sauces, spreads, or jams.

  • Add butternut squash soup to pasta sauce to give it a different texture and more nutrition.
  • Pair butternut squash with cheese for a creamy sauce with fiber.
  • Add butternut squash soup to mashed potatoes for added flavor.
  • Roast butternut squash as an alternative to mashed potatoes for more color and fuller flavor.

Recipe Variation

Put some toppings on your butternut soup:

  • Nuts such as toasted almonds or walnuts.
  • Herbs are always a good topping. Throw on some cilantro, chives, thyme, or rosemary.

How to Store and Prep Butternut Squash

  • When looking for squash at the store, if long-term storage is your goal, choose blemish-free butternut squash with hard, dull skins and at least an inch of stem intact. Squash with soft spots, mold, or other damage won't keep for long. Choose a squash that feels heavy for its size. That's an indication that it's fresh.
  • Store your fresh, uncut squash in a cool, dark place, such as a basement or closet, where sunlight won't hasten its ripening. Under the right storage conditions, your butternut squash should last two to three months.
  • To prep the squash, use a vegetable peeler or Y-peeler to peel the squash. Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes.

Dairy-Free Butternut Squash Pairings

Try butternut squash as an entrée with dairy-free bread or add any type of legumes such as white beans, black beans, split peas, or ​black-eyed peas to the soup for a heartier, more filling meal. If you have butternut squash as a side dish with meat as the main course, it's fine without additional ingredients. As the main course, you can also add greens, such as sautéed kale, turnip, or collard greens, to the mix for a complete meal. The smoky taste of the butternut squash pairs well with the sweetness of fruit such as apples and cranberries.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
144 Calories
4g Fat
28g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 144
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 434mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 8g 28%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 34mg 170%
Calcium 108mg 8%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 734mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)